Search Smartphones
Need a smartphone? Here you will find an overview of all smartphones sold in the Netherlands, both without and with subscription. We compare prices of all webshops and all providers so we always have the cheapest and therefore best offer. Almost all the phones mentioned here are simlock free so you can use them immediately. Read more
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Smartphones are mobile phones with which you can do just a little bit more than just call. Apps make it possible to perform the most extensive functions. To make this possible, smartphones run an operating system such as Android or Apple's iOS but there are also alternatives.
Android smartphones
Three quarters of all smartphones sold are Android smartphones. This mobile operating system is updated every year by Google. Manufacturers can use it free of charge, as long as they meet a number of conditions, so many companies have developed phones with it. So the Android offer is large and varied. The same goes for the price. Anyone who wants a budget smartphone will therefore almost always end up with an Android phone. When considering an Android, pay attention to what the manufacturer says about future updates. Manufacturers are not required to update their phones regularly unless they apply Android One.
Apple iPhones
The other quarter of the smartphone sold is mostly an iPhone. These are often a bit more expensive to buy, but unlike Android, they are updated much longer. Software that is regularly updated is safer, contains fewer bugs and usually has more features. A big advantage of Apple's iOS operating system is that the range of apps it offers is so huge and generally of high quality. Apps must be approved before they are allowed on the App Store. An additional disadvantage is that iOS is a bit more closed. Unlike Android, you can adjust and/or replace fewer things yourself.
History
Many people think that Apple is the creator of the smartphone with the iPhone announced in 2007. Nothing could be further from the truth. The first smartphone dates from 1992 and was from IBM, but it was not widely available. The Nokia 9000 Communicator from 1996 was; a foldable junction between a PDA and a phone. At the beginning of 2000, the emergence of the Symbian operating system resulted in a wide range of smartphones. That was also the period in which brands like BlackBerry and T-Mobile dominated with Sidekick. That changed when Microsoft came up with Windows Mobile in mid-2000. When Apple announced the first iPhone in 2007, it caused a shift from smartphones with small screens and keyboards to large touch-sensitive screens. It would herald the end of BlackBerry, Nokia and Windows Mobile. But also the rise of Android.
Many functions
Smartphones have taken over the function of many devices. Think PDAs, the compact camera, camcorder, MP3 player, GPS navigation, calculator, alarm clock, watch, etc etc. This became possible because electronics became smaller and more powerful. In addition, the price went down, making the smart phone more accessible to many more people. Meanwhile, the list of obsolete products has become very long and we hardly see any timers, voice recorders, photo albums, address books, maps, answering machines, landlines, phone booths and scanners.